Improvement in foot-rests for chairs



E. COLLINS.

Foot-Rests for [Ih-airs.

Patented jan. 14,1873.

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AM PHaTo-urHaaRAPH/c ca Mmosomfls Pinch-ss) UNITED STATES 'PATENTOFFICE.

EDWARD coLLrNs, oF'nEw YORK, N. r.

IMPRCVEMENT IN FOOT-RESTS FOR CHAIRS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 134,733, dated January14, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD COLLINS, of the city of New York, in thecounty and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Foot-Rests for Chairs, Gar-Seats, 8vo.; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, sufficient to enable those skilled in the art to which myinvention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawing making part of this specification and to theletters and gures marked thereon.

My invention relates to an adjustable footrest designed moreparticularly for railroadcar seats, but which may be readily applied tochairs of every description. My invention consists in a foot-rest madein two parts, sliding one within the other, which may beadjusted as tolength by means of a lever and a ball working in a tapering chamber, orby means of an apron extending from the lower portion to the upperportion of the frame-work and passing around a roller. The inventionfurther consists in the devices by which the footrest may be adjusted todifferent angles of inclination.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure lis a perspective view of myinvention 5 and Fig. 2 is a side view, partly in section.

A represents a portion of a chair or car seat, to the front portion ofwhich are attached two perforated lugs, a a. B B represent two tubes,made of iron or other suitable metal, having their upper endsperforated. These tubes B B are secured together, in the position shown,by passing through eyes. formed in the four corners of a quadrangularframe, D, which may be made of wood or metal. (l is an iron rod, whichpasses through the lugs a a and the perforated upper ends of the tubes BB,

and thus hinges them together. Between the lugs may be a rollersurrounding the rod C, and on one end of said rod is a knob, crank, or

wheel for turning it, and a pawl and ratchet for holding it at anydesired point. F F are two iron rods, the lower ends of which aresecured in sockets attached to the foot-board G. The upper portions ofthe rods slide freely in the tubes B B. Attached to the quadrangularframe D is a chamber or casing, B, in which is a ball, J, operated by alever, K. Attached tothe foot board G is a tongue or strip, L, whichpasses up through the chamber H in such a manner that the ball J willcontinually press upon it when not held up by the lever K, the chamber Hbeing smaller at the lower portion than the upper.

When it is desired to lengthen out the footrest, by pressing down thelong arm of the le- If desired, the chamber, ball, and lever may V bedispensed with, and the foot-rest lengthened and shortened by means ofan apron, M, the lower end of which is buttoned to the lower part of thefoot-rest, on or near the footboard Gr, and the upper end is attached tothe roller on the rod C, so that when the apron is wound around theroller it shortens the footrest, and when unwound it allows the lowerpart to descend by its own weight. By means of the pawl and ratchet itis held at any desired point. The apron has a cushion placed between itand the frame-work, and formsa comfortable .resting place for the limbsof the person seated in the chair.`

For adjusting the foot-rest at different angles of inclination, I employa bar, P, which is pivoted to the under side of the foot-rest by meansof a rod, R, the ends of which are secured in eyes d formed on the underside of the frame D, which bar P has formed on one edge notches orratchet-teeth, which engage with a staple or bar, S, attached to thefront of the chair under the seat, and thus hold the foot-rest at anyangle at which it maybe placed. The bar is readily released from contactwith the staple or bar S by means of a cord, p.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A foot-rest for chairs, &c., made in twoV parts, sliding one withinthe other by means of tubes and rods, and held at different lengths bymeans of an apron secured to one of the parts and passingl over aroller' on the other cord p, as shown and described, vfor thepurl part,substantially as shown anddescribed.v pose specified. i

2. The combination and arrangement of the The above specification of Vmyinvention chamber H, ball J, lever K, and strip L, as signed by me this3d day of September, 1872.

shown and described, for the purpose speciiied. EDWARD COLLINS.

3. The combination and arrangement of the Witnesses:

notched bar P, pivoted to the frame D by BEEKMAN S. BURNHAM,

means of rod R and eyes d, the bar S, and ALBERT B. TUTHILL.

